Monday, 19 October 2009

Archaeologists have unearthed a large mud building in Denmark, which may have been a cult place or beer hall of the ancient Viking kings.

According to a report in The Copenhagen Post, the hall, 48 metres long and seven metres across, overlooks the site of a Viking palace unearthed in 1986 in what is an historic area of Denmark.

“We are sure we have found a royal building of some sort,” said Tom Christensen, curator of Roskilde Museum at the time.

“The odd thing about the site is that it is littered with bits and pieces of exquisite golden jewellery, glass and bronze broaches, high quality artifacts, such as drinking glasses and ceramics, which all seem to have been deliberately smashed in some ritual,” he added.Read the rest of this article...

Could a large mud building unearthed in Lejre have been a cult place or beer hall of the ancient Viking kings?

The hall, 48 metres long and seven metres across, overlooks the site of a Viking palace unearthed in 1986 in what is an historic area of Denmark.

‘We are sure we have found a royal building of some sort,’ said Tom Christensen, curator of Roskilde Museum at the time. ‘The odd thing about the site is that it is littered with bits and pieces of exquisite golden jewellery, glass and bronze broaches, high quality artifacts, such as drinking glasses and ceramics, which all seem to have been deliberately smashed in some ritual.’

‘There is also a huge pile of cooking stones from primitive ovens. This was obviously a place frequented by the upper classes of the Iron Age. Maybe it was some sort of beer hall or a sacred site where cult or religious activities were carried out. The building’s post holes are over a metre deep, so it must have been an impressive construction,’ said Christensen.Read the rest of this article...

Saturday, 10 October 2009

Experts are now examining a unique rune stone dating back to around 400 AD, discovered in a garden in the city of Mandal in Southern Norway a week ago. The find may also contain a grave, reports Norway Post.

This is the first rune stone discovered in Norway since 1947, and the find is described as a sensation by the experts.

There are several lines of runes cut into the face of the stone, but it seems the style of writing is a bit different from earlier finds, and more difficult to desipher.

Thursday, 8 October 2009

The 2010 JORVIK Viking Festival will begin with a 25th anniversary conference, celebrating some of the most important developments and iconic artefacts uncovered in the last quarter-century of research into the Viking era. Academics from around the Viking world will gather in York on Saturday 13th February for an entertaining and illuminating look at the past, present and future of Viking studies. With a conference dinner on Saturday evening and a Festival coach tour to see some of Yorkshire's finest Viking-age artefacts on Sunday 14th February.

Wednesday, 7 October 2009

Welcome to the history cookbook. Do you know what the Vikings ate for dinner? What a typical meal of a wealthy family in Roman Britain consisted of, or what food was like in a Victorian Workhouse? Why not drop into history cookbook and find out? This project looks at the food of the past and how this influenced the health of the people living in each time period. You can also try some of the recipes for yourself. We have a wide range of historical recipes from Brown Bread Ice Cream to Gruel (Why not see if you would be asking for more - just like Oliver Twist).

Monday, 5 October 2009

The first rune stone discovered in Norway since 1947 dates to about 400 AD and may contain a grave, archaeologists in the city of Mandal said.

The rune discovered last week in a garden in Mandal has several lines cut into the stone's face, but the style of writing appears slightly different from previous finds and is more difficult to decipher, The Norway Post reported Friday.

One sentence beginning "Ek Naudigastir" -- I Naudagistr -- is believed to be a man's name. A larger stone under the rune may be a grave. Another grave from the same period was discovered on the same property years ago, the Post reported.

About Me

I am a freelance archaeologist and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland specializing in the medieval period. I have worked as a field archaeologist for the Department of Environment (Northern Ireland) and the Museum of London. I have been involved in continuing education for many years and have taught for the University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education (OUDCE) and the Universities of London, Essex, Ulster, and the London College of the University of Notre Dame, and I was the Archaeological Consultant for Southwark Cathedral. I am the author of and tutor for an OUDCE online course on the Vikings, and the Programme Director and Academic Director for the Oxford Experience Summer School.